Emma billettb de villeroohe and arthur chatelard



(No Model.) E. BILLETTE DE VILLEROOHE & A. GHATELARD.

MANUFACTURE OF METAL CANS AND BOXES.

No. 342,503. Patented May 25, 1886.

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I m W Aw N. PETER$ Phulo-Liihognpher, Washington. D. a

' UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMMA. BILLETTE DE VILLEROCHE AND ARTHUR CHATELARD, OF CON I CARNEAU,FRANCE.

MANUFACTURE OF METAL CANS AND BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,503, dated May 25,1886.

Application filed March 30, IBFB. Serial No. 197.205. (No model.)Patented in France July 25, 1884, No. 163,486, and in Portugal Novemberin, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EMMA BILLETT DE VILLERooHE and ARTHUR CHATELARD,both citizens of the Republic of France, residing at 5 Concarneau, insaid Republic, have invented a new andnseful Improvement in theMannfacture of Metal Cans and Boxes for Preserving Animal and VegetableSubstances, of which the followingis a specification, reference .0 beingbad to the accompanying drawings.

The object of our invention is to provide for the easy opening of metalcans and boxes.

Theinvention consists in making in the metal, in the line in which it isto be torn or ripped open, a crease and an incision partly through themetal at the bottom of this crease, and atterward reversing or throwingoutward the crease formed in the metal by this operation in such manneras to open the incision, and to strain the adj acent part of the metalnot reached by the incision, and by this means assuring the easy tearingopen of the box in a well-defined line without producing ragged edges onthe torn part or parts of the metal.

The crease and incision in the metal, when made upon the body of the boxor can, maybe effected by means of wheels or rotary devices betweenwhich the metallic band forming the part of the box or can to be tornopen may be passed, such machinebeing or not the same by which themoldings may be produced on the can or box; or the crease and incision,if applied to the cover, may be produced byineaus of matrixes andpunches and on Lters operating by direct pressure.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents aperipherical View of apair ofwheels by which the primary creasing and incising ol' the metal areproduced. Fig. 1 represents a similar view of a pair of wheels by whichthe crease is reversed or thrown outward. Fig. 2 is a face view of aportion of a metallic band prepared according to 'ourinvention. Figs. 3,4, and 5 represent transverse sections of the band, indieating,respectively, the successive operatlons ol" the primary creasing andpartial incising of the band, the reversing of the crease, opening ofthe incision, and the tearing open of the metal in the line of theincision. Figs.

6 and '7 are perspective views of one end of a sardine-box, illustratingthe method of tearing open the same. Figs. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13 showdill'ercnt forms of a key which may be employed for tearing open thebox.

()f the wheels K K (shown in Fig. 1) the lower wheel, K, contains agroove, 0, the profile. of which corresponds in form with the salientcurve of the transverse section of the primary crease to be produced inthe band, and the upper one, K, is provided with asharpedged flange, 11,the profile of which corresponds with the re-entrant p rofile of thecrease, the edge of the said flange being sufficiently sharp to producean incision partly through the metal.

Of the wheels L L the lower one, L, has on its periphery a flange, f,and the upper one has in its periphery a corresponding groo've,e, forthe purpose of reversing or throwing outward the crease produced in themetal.

The shafts of the several wheels K K L L may be mounted in bearings inany suitable f rame-work, and have rotary motion imparted to them by anysuitable means. By these \vh eels we perform on the metallic bandintended to form the body of the box the operations necessary tosnfliciently weaken the metal in any desired line by submitting it to aseries of successive creasing-s without entirely cutting through it, tosulliciently weaken it to enable it to be easily torn open in that line.

Fi 3, 4, and 5 show clearly the succession of operations performed bythese wheels. Fig. 3 represents thcband after passing between the wheelsK Kthat is to say, havingacrease at the bottom of which is a slightincision, a, extending only partly through the thickness. Fig. 41. showsthis band B after its passage be tween the wheels L L, which havereversed or turned completely outward the crease formed by the wheels KK, and have thereby opened the incision a to make it take the formindicatcd at I). Fig. 5 represents the effect of tearing the band B inthe line of theincision b, by rolling up a portion of the said band B onthe key l), the band being for that purpose provided at one extremitywith a tongue, 0, which is coiled or made into a loop and leftprojecting from the boX, as shown in Fig. 6, for the reception of saidkey D. The kind of key which we employ to effect this operation may bemade of a simple piece of wire of suitable length, conveniently bent inany suitable f'ormas, for instance, any of those indicated in Figs. 8 to13, but preferably of the form shown in Fig. 13. Byinserting thebitorshank of this key in the loop of the tongue 6' and taking hold ofthehead of the key by the thumb and fingers and turning the key, theportion of the band B between theincision b and the nearest edge of thesaid band which is soldered tothc adjacent head of the boX, may be tornaway in the line of the said incision and rolled upon the key, thetearing being effected in a clean and well-defined line without raggedto the partial incision of the metal of the band and the weakening of apart consequent fatiguing produced by the repetitlon of the creasing inopposite directions.

line in which it be torn away may be furnished, in any suitable strippedaway.

What we claim as ourinvention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-- The improvement in the art of manufacturing cans and metal boxesconsisting in pre paring the metal in the line in which it is to beopened by making a crease in the metal and an incision partly through itin the bottom of the crease, and afterward turning outward or reversingthe crease, and thereby throwing out and Widening the incision andweakening the adjacent metal, for the purpose of enabling it to be torndefinitely in the line of said incision, substantially as hereindescribed.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

EMMA BILLE'ITE DE VILLEROCHE. ARTHUR. GHATELARD. Vitnesses:

SAURDOTTAIRE, 0. LE J ROMER.

